British EV manufacturer Arrival has started trials of its electric bus at a testing and validation facility in the UK ahead of certification later this year.
The Arrival Bus has been designed to create a new and improved public transportation experience for drivers, passengers, engineers, cleaners and fleet owners, as well as reducing costs for operators.
The vehicle utilises Arrival’s software ecosystem, enabling full connectivity, digital customisation, and deep access to vehicle behaviour and data. The vehicle can be tailored to meet local cities’ needs with its modular design, which enables configuration of length, range, battery, and passenger capacity.
“This is a key milestone for Arrival and we’re thrilled to have started proving ground trials, where the bus is currently going through testing, ahead of EU certification and public road trials,” said Franck Dessenis, vice president of bus platform, Arrival.
“We’ve seen a strong interest in the bus, specifically from governments who are looking to upgrade their public transportation networks, in order to achieve their zero-emission pledges.
“We’re partnering closely with governments, cities, and operators to build infrastructure solutions and seamless mobility services for local communities to support their clean energy targets.”
The first Arrival Bus features up to three doors, with flexible passenger seating capacity across the entire flat floor, allowing for greater accessibility, as well as creating more usable standing space and the ability for passengers to travel more comfortably.
The vehicle also has wrap-around exterior and interior screens, adaptable lighting, a transparent roof and a suite of digital features. The Arrival Bus uses in-house components that are also found on the Arrival Van and Car, and Arrival’s lightweight recyclable composite materials. This, alongside common suspension and the wheels and tyres at front and rear, means the bus is estimated to be lighter than other battery-electric buses in the market today.
Following the proving ground trials at Horiba MIRA’s test facility in Nuneaton, Arrival will commence public road trials of the bus with First Bus in Q1 2022. The trials will see Arrival’s vehicles operating on existing First Bus routes in the UK.
Arrival is expected to begin production for the bus in Q2 2022.
